II have been speaking to different people about their experience when the tsunami hit. Where I have been travelling was not the main area although it sounded bad enough. One chap now working on one of the isladas told me that he was working in Phuket at the time and for some reason on that day he decided to go to work late and was in bed when he felt the first shock. I did not take too much notice but a while the whole building shook vigoriously. He went to the window and was in time to see the sea receding. He said there was a loud sucking sound and he tried calling his friends to find out what was going on but all communications were down. Then he saw the wall of water coming from far out. Fortunately for him he was staying up on the hill and was relatively safe. All this time there were high winds. He saw people running and saw many of them swept away. Whereas the water hereabouts was blue green it turned black and there was a horrilble smell everywhere.

Someone else on another island further away saw the water rise above street level and he was impressed by the numbers of tourists rescueing little children from the water. Now everywhere there are signs telling the evacuation areas should the tsunami come again.